title: Tolerance and chimerism and allogeneic bone marrow/stem cell transplantation in liver transplantation.
abstract: The liver has particular tolerogenic properties that allow its spontaneous acceptance in some animal species. Liver structure is considered to favor a tolerogenic environment. The peripheral tolerance mechanisms also play a role in spontaneous tolerance to liver graft. In a clinical setting, the main challenge nowadays facing liver transplantation is minimization of immunosuppression with the goal of donor-specific tolerance. Mechanisms involved in tolerance to transplanted organs are complex and partly unknown. A significant mechanism in tolerance induction is chimerism. Chimerism can be induced through transplantation of allogeneic donor bone marrow/stem cells under appropriate host conditioning. This review focuses on the tolerance mechanisms in liver transplantation and highlights the role of chimerism and allogeneic bone marrow/stem cell transplantation in tolerance development.
authors.affiliation: Sheng-Li Wu, Cheng-En Pan, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, Shaanxi Province, China.
authors.forename: Sheng-Li
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Cheng-En
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Pan
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D016026:Bone Marrow Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006085:Graft Survival; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology*; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D033581:Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018183:Transplantation Chimera / Q000276:immunology*; D023001:Transplantation Tolerance; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Bone marrow transplantation; Chimerism; Immunotolerance; Liver transplantation; Stem cell transplantation